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Among companies recently enamored by artificial intelligence (AI), media outlets are just part of the herd. Meta, formerly known as Facebook, jilted the metaverse for AI so it must be the next big thing. The race is on, or the parade.
German tabloid Die Aktuelle gave it a shot last week, publishing an “interview” with revered F1 race driver Michael Schumacher. Titled “Michael Schumacher - The First Interview” was published April 19. The authors claimed to have “found” the interview on the internet, “on a page that has to do with artificial intelligence, called AI for short.” Herr Schumacher was disabled a decade ago, seriously injured in a ski accident, and has not spoken or appeared in public since.
Clever idea, yes? Herr Schumacher remains a celebrity, certainly in Germany and always among F1 fans. But it was fake, created by AI. It remains to be seen if the term “fake news” is replaced with “AI news” in the publishing lexicon. (See more about digital transitions here)
There was clear outrage. "This tasteless and misleading article should never have appeared,” said Funke Media Group managing director Bianca Pohlmann in a statement, quoted by media news portal Kress (April 21). “It in no way meets the standards of journalism, as we - and our readers - expect it at a publisher like Funke.” The publisher apologized to the Schumacher family, which reportedly was considering legal action. (See more about media in Germany here)
The uproar also cost the job of Die Aktuelle chief editor Anne Hoffmann, who had held the position since 2009. The article subhead said “it sounds deceptively real.” For the bad joke, Frau Hoffmann was dismissed “with immediate effect.”
State supported news agencies are common. Some are better than their reputation. In the best of circumstances, they fill a unique need often ignored by media outlets cloistered in big cities.
Mexico’s president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, surprised nobody last Friday (April 14), announcing plans to close news agency Notimex. During his relatively short term in office, Sr. López Obrador, often referred to as AMLO, has demonstrated a deep desire for holding the spotlight of attention. He said Notimex will be “liquidated” after a severance agreement is reached with workers.
“We do not need a government news agency anymore,” he said, quoted by AP (April 15). “That was from the era of press statements. It is not something that we need as a government. We have the mañanera,” his daily morning news briefing. It is filled with soft-ball questions from sycophant reporters. (See more about media in Mexico here)
Notimex was formed coincident with the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games, largely to amplify stories from other parts of the country. On acceding to the presidency in 2019, AMLO appointed Sanjuana Martínez to lead Notimex. She implemented an austerity plan that union employees viewed as politically motivated. They took industrial action within a year, citing unfair treatment. (See more about news agencies here)
“I am in total agreement,” said Sra Martínez, who agrees with AMLO on everything. “It is a successful phenomenon with high audience share that has allowed us to respond to the press, which in general has opted for campaigns of slander and lies.” On accepting the appointment, Sra. Martínez described the job as being “kidnapped by a union mafia,” reported La Jornada (April 15). Notimex employs about 200 workers.
Among those disagreeing with the decision is opposition politician Adriana Díaz Contreras who, quoted by El Economista (April 17), noted that Notimex is owned by the state “and all Mexicans” and not President López Obrador. She slammed the idea Notimex can be replaced by that morning news briefing: "The lies, half-truths and false data that have been said in the mornings, in addition to the fact that there is no free participation of the journalists who come; and when they do, they are criticized and the exercise of their journalistic work is restricted."
The Khartoum channel of Sudan state TV went dark Sunday. A news reader was talking and, then, nothing. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured the building (April 15) and then the transmission signal was cut. According to a CNN report (April 17) it is unclear whether or not the Sudanese Army took control over the state TV and radio facilities in Omdurman, near Khartoum, or just the transmission system. The Sudanese Army and the RSF have been furiously fighting each other for several days.
By Monday afternoon the Sudanese Army had control over the program output. Text messages were broadcast claiming control “after repeated attempts by the militias to destroy its infrastructure.” State radio from Khartoum was also cut, reported Reuters (April 17), and later broadcast support for the Sudanese Army. Sudan has had no functioning government since October 2021 following a military takeover. (See more about conflict zones here)
Media in Sudan includes a handful of newspapers, some with digital editions, along with state broadcaster Sudanese Radio and Television Corporation and a few privately-owned radio and TV channels. Multimedia Radio Dabanga has operated from Amsterdam, The Netherlands, since 2008 and has ties to the Dutch foreign ministry. Its services focus mostly on the Darfur region. BBC Arabic radio, on the air in Sudan for decades, left those airwaves this past January.
Scapegoating is often floated when times get tough. It’s common among certain publishers, broadcasters, tech bros and bankers. Top executives face consequences for strings of failure. Blame must be created.
Austrian newspaper Kurier is in a financial rough patch, said managing director Thomas Kralinger, quoted by Weiner Zeitung (April 13). There will be austerity, employees were informed last week. Media workers everywhere have heard much the same, more often since the coronavirus pandemic and related sour economics. "There is a macroeconomically toxic situation that, at the end of the day, means that we have extreme cost pressure in all media companies, which we can only overcome by significantly changing the product or reducing editorial costs," he said. Cuts are coming “as unpleasant as that is.”
Daily newspaper Kurier is principally owned by German media house Funke Mediengruppe through subsidiary WAZ Auslands Holding and financial services conglomerate Raiffeisen bank. Like other Austrian newspapers, readership share for Kurier has dwindled over the last decade. A lawyer by training, Herr Kralinger has been managing director since 2007. He is also vice president of the Association of Austrian Newspapers (VÖZ). (See more about media in Austria here)
Herr Kralinger outlined the usual publishing challenges. "Our future is the digital subscription,” he offered. “Digital subscriptions have different challenges than designing a print daily newspaper. We have to equip ourselves for this. We have to invest in new technologies. AI can make certain activities easier and maybe even replace staff departures. And we have to take action geared primarily to the requirements of a newer, younger reader market.” (See more about digital transitions here)
And he placed blame on the Austrian public broadcaster. "ORF has a clear competitive advantage,” he continued. “I don't know of any other market where public broadcasting is so dominant. As long as this professional and well-made offer is free and freely available, it will make it difficult for quality media to sell digital subscriptions.” Through national and international trade associations publishers have resoundingly criticized public broadcasters, from funding regimes to digital content.
Everywhere in the world accountants pouring over the numbers have come to the same conclusion. Office space is expensive and, post pandemic, often unnecessary. Relocating is also expensive but that can be offset by the other favorite accountant target: jobs.
Al Jazeera English will be leaving London for Doha, Qatar. The live broadcast center in The Shard, still prime London real estate, will close, reported the Guardian (April 12). The “restructuring” affects two daily TV newscasts produced in London and a program produced in Washington DC, said managing director Giles Trendle. Some staff will be “given the opportunity to relocate to Doha.” Other Al Jazeera output will continue to originate from London. (See more about Al Jazeera here)
Al Jazeera Media Network moved into The Shard in 2014. It was the first commercial tenant in the 86 floor building, tallest in Europe at opening. Al Jazeera occupies the 16th floor. Al Jazeera English was formed in 2006 by the government of Qatar, recruiting several reporters and producers from the BBC. Main studios have long been located in Doha.
Malaysian police raided the Al Jazeera offices in Kuala Lumpur in August 2020. Authorities complained about news coverage. Shortly thereafter work visas were revoked for two Al Jazeera employees, both Australian citizens. Some news reports of the London Al Jazeera English exit inaccurately said Kuala Lumpur and Washington DC bureaus had closed.
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